


carry me home

by thelastavenger



Category: Avengers, Marvel
Genre: Avengers - Freeform, Avengers Endgame, Avengers: Endgame, Endgame, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 15:52:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18641257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastavenger/pseuds/thelastavenger
Summary: following the events of endgame, someone needs to carry Tony’s body from the battlefield, and only one option feels right.





	carry me home

**Author's Note:**

> MAJOR ENDGAME SPOILERS 
> 
> inspired by a tweet from @tonysmorguna

“Steve.” He heard a whisper. “It’s time.” A hand landed on his shoulder. A heavy, cold, armoured hand. A sound left Steve’s mouth – a mix between a sob and “yeah” – as he shifted on the balls of his feet. He attempted to stand but quickly lost his balance. Rhodey half-caught him as he fell onto his knees at Tony’s feet. 

“I’m coming.” Steve assured. “just...give us-me...give me-give me a minute.”  
“Ste-“  
“Please.” Steve turned his head up toward Rhodey, still avoiding eye contact. “Please.”  
“Do you want me to come back to help you-“  
“No, no...it has to be me.” Steve said. Rhodey simply nodded and walked toward everyone who had gathered at the other end of the battlefield. 

“Hey, Tony.” Steve whispered, his voice breaking on every syllable. “Hey.” He smiled, a broken look in his eyes as he put a hand on the dark arc reactor. “Tony. Come on, Tony. We won.” Steve sobbed, begging Tony to wake up, for God’s sake just wake up. “We won.” He whispered. 

“Come on, Tony. I can’t do this without you.” He sobbed. “Morgan, she needs you, she-she needs you, Tony.” Steve choked as he spoke, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do. “Remember the day we first met? Huh? You were so damn cocky, and I was just so shy, you said I was insufferable. You said; ‘Rogers, you’re insufferable. You’re so reserved, I honestly can’t stand it.’ Then you asked me out for a drink, you said you wanted to see if there was a party animal inside of me, desperate to come out. You wanted to see if a drink could get me going.” 

“We ended up leaving the River Café and walking the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan. We talked about anything and everything, and the topic of kids came up. As we walked you told me, you said: children aren’t accessories. They’re a commitment, and it’s a lot of pressure. You said that you wouldn’t want to have kids until you were fully ready, because you worried about your father’s influence, and you didn’t want your little ones to take the worst parts of you. That the greater good rarely outweighed your father’s self-interest, and that you were afraid you’d end up like him, and even worse, that would spill into your own children. You were wrong, Tony. All you’ve ever done was in the name of other people and the greater good. Sure, you’re confident, but you’re no egomaniac - it is not arrogant to know your worth. You’re selfless, to a fault. Just look here, look where you are now. You’re there so no one else has to be. But the joke’s over. Please, come back to me, Tony, please.” Steve choked out a sob thinking about everything that would never be. Everything that would never happen, could never happen, every unspoken word or unresolved issue. “I love you, Tony. Please don’t be gone. Please.” 

Tony’s body felt like a planet in Steve’s arms, heavier than anything he had ever felt before. Steve couldn’t help but think back on something his Ma had said when she was dying; the more you love a person, the heavier their coffin is. He fell to his knees a hundred feet away from everyone else and soon felt a soft hand on his back. 

“Sir, are you alright?” Steve’s heart broke when he realised who was by his side to help.  
“Sorry, Peter, yeah, I’m...I’m okay, I...” Steve trailed off, trying to catch his breath as more tears threatened to spill over. He felt Peter drape an arm over his shoulders as he cried by Steve’s side. 

“Let me give you a hand.” 

Steve couldn’t look at Tony’s face as he and Peter walked him the rest of the way off the battlefield. He kept his eyes closed most of the way, hoping that Tony would pull off one last surprise.


End file.
